Peggle on Their Minds (Plus Free Peggle)

Ever since John Vechey’s exuberant display at E3, it’s been hard not to think about Peggle. It’s like a Bjorn-naissance around here! In case you hadn’t heard, it’s even free right now on the Apple App Store for both iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad! So we on the Blog Ride team decided to celebrate by sharing some of our favorite Peggle tips, moments, or reflections (or in one case, possibly hallucinations).

For me (and it may sound simple/obvious but I’m going somewhere here), Peggle is all about selecting your Master properly. I love playing Duel mode matches with my boyfriend, who, by the way, beats me in every video game ever made except for Peggle. I know it’s not because I have any kind of elevated understanding of physics (I suspect my elevator in that case is more like the kind they have in coal mines). No, if I inspire him to rage-quit every time we sit down to play (and I do, and it’s hilarious), it’s because I have put in the time and tried every single level with every single Master until I determined who works best for what.

For instance:

On a level with portals, Bjorn's Super Guide is invaluable!

Same with extreme obstacles!

In fact, Bjorn is often a great choice in Duel mode, since Long Shot bonuses take you far, and orange pegs are a fundamental requirement for each shot. But use the opportunity before selecting your Master to look carefully at the layout of the level (on an Xbox controller, I believe it’s the left bumper that lets you do that). Are the orange pegs frustratingly concealed behind obstacles or large swaths of blue pegs? Maybe Tula is your secret weapon when a green peg might be an easier target. Are there a lot of moving parts? Renfield is gold with dynamic set pieces keeping his Spooky Ball in play as long as possible.

In conclusion, to dominate in Duel mode, get to know each Master’s strengths and weaknesses on each level. It’s the most fun homework you will ever do (and you might accidentally learn something about physics as a bonus)!

Curtis:

I think it’s important to think of Peggle as an experience rather than just a game. So my tip is more about that experience.

Peggle is best enjoyed with your favorite friends, foods, and drinks. Because the only thing better than Extreme Fever is a crowd of people cheering as you revel in the rainbow-festooned glory of Extreme Fever. With the Xbox game, you can host a Peg Party. With other versions, you can make up your own tournament, complete with unique rules, rewards. And if none of your friends know about Peggle, even better: you’ll introduce them to their newest favorite thing ever, and you’ll likely get the highest score.

Philip:

There are a great many things I do not understand. And because I refuse to accept any responsibility for the sordid catalog of my personal failures, I am going to blame my schooling for doling out the “gentleman’s C” as a courtesy to my folks who sent six kids through the same schools ahead of me. And while I somehow bluffed my way into a position as a professional writer on a BFA in Theater and an over-eagerness to tell people whatever they want to hear, my shortcomings in math and the sciences remain one of my great and private shames. I nearly flunked out of geometry before I think Mrs. Kaminsky realized she couldn’t stand the thought of me not paying attention in her class for another year and scooted me off to Algebra II (another near disaster). And if you ask me the difference between Physics and Phys. Ed., I will tell you only that in one of them you have to wear shorts. So as for Peggle… um, aim for the purple pegs. You get a bunch of points that way. Maybe it won’t clear all the orange pegs on the first go but when it does, think of all the points! And don’t be too upset when you get Jimmy Lightning’s multi-ball and it drops down the side of the board without hitting anything.

AJ:

The master I use the most is probably Marina, who is only in Peggle Nights and a few other obscure Peggle corners. She brings the Electrobolt along when she shows up, like a rainbow of BAM. Some people call her the Electric Squid, but usually only when she’s djing at Madame Jo Jos. Those nights are off the charts, like an Extreme Fever that hits 100,000 rolled in with a Super Long Shot, a Crazy Slide and a plate of cheese fries. One night, she was spinning everything from Robots in Disguise to Yellow Magic Orchestra. It was like a funky ball of tentacles from outer space, if the tentacles were wearing red boots. Master Hu was leading a Congo line wearing red boots, actually. Anyway, Marina provides you with energy arcs from the first peg hit to the free ball bucket. And those energy arcs are made of glitter, the light off the sun at dawn, and unwound Tesla coils – which means they can take out a whole lot of pegs in a mystically modern fashion. What I like to do is take a piece of toast, cover it with peanut butter, and then put three dollops of clover honey on it and a tiny sprinkle of cinnamon. Then I fire up Peggle Nights, go straight to a challenge screen, pick Marina, and start peg-busting, trying to save a grouping of pegs for when I get the “Electrobolt Next Turn” missive from the Peggle post. Once I have it, then I start high on the board where that group of pegs is, waiting for the exact moment to unleash the shot – you can’t go too early, or you miss out, so you have to time the free ball bucket exactly. Then, snap, crackle, crackle, Electrobolt and pegs exploding everywhere. It’s genius.

Jeff:

Jeff Green is on a much-neededwell-deserved vacation and unable to share his thoughts on Peggle. Be sure to come back on Monday for the start of Jeff Green Week* on the Blog Ride.